According to The Hollywood Reporter, the small screen adaptation will be produced by Gaumont International Television and Martha De Laurentiis, who is also producing the upcoming Hannibal TV series.

De Laurentiis said that Danish director Refn had “the perfect vision to elevate such an iconic character like Barbarella and bring her to new audiences worldwide”.

Refn, who also directed Bronson and Valhalla Rising, called Barbarella “one of the ultimate counter-cultural characters” and said he was excited about “bringing this unique character to life for a new generation of fans”.

Refn’s next film will be Only God Forgives, an upcoming crime thriller starring Ryan Gosling, with whom he also worked on Drive.